Video Excerpts from Briefing of Joint Strategic Plan on Intellectual Property

The following excerpts of today’s White House briefing on the Joint Strategic Plan for Intellectual Property Enforcement are relevant to the problem of counterfeit drugs.   Vice President Biden clearly identifies the problem facing consumers and patients today. To learn more about our take on this announcement, see our press release.

Vice President: “We need to protect our citizens from unsafe products: counterfeit auto parts, semiconductors used in medical devices that aren’t quality tested, counterfeit pharmaceuticals that put lives at risk.”

Vice President: “Whether we’re talking about fake drugs that hurt instead of help the patient or knockoff car tires that fall apart at 65 miles an hour causing injury and death, counterfeits kill — counterfeits kill.”

Vice President: “And so we just want to make it real clear: We’re going after people. We’re going after the web sites. We’re going to go after those folks who in fact sell us things that in fact have the effect of putting the lives of Americans in jeopardy.”

Vice President: “Counterfeit drugs are a scourge and our consumers aren’t safe. And they don’t know what they’re buying online many times. I applaud Google, Yahoo and Bing for the steps they’ve taken in recent weeks to stop selling advertising to illegal Internet pharmacies. But — but — we need to go further. It’s time for others to step up to, it’s time to stop supporting ads for drugs sold illegally over the Internet — and for a simple reason: for the public health of American — of our population.”